The sauna existed above the bathhouse in 1753.

Carl Magnus von der Pahlen had a large building built, partly above the water, as a summer gathering place in the first half of the 19th century.

The summer house was intended for holidaymakers to spend the night and for vacation.

It was a heated building surrounded by an open balcony with pillars and balustrades resting on piles.
Stairs descended into the water from the sides of the building.
The completely dilapidated bathhouse was restored according to old recordings and foundation remains in 1997-1998.
Today, the building houses a summer café named after Isabella von Ungern-Sternberg (b. Von der Pahlen, 1846-1915), who was once known as a famous graphologist.

Isabella von Ungern-Sternberg (1846-1915) was one of the most educated women in Estonia in the 19th century.
Isabella was born in Tallinn as the first child of Alexander and Olga von der Pahlen.
Vaida, Palmse and Leetse manors were her homes.
From home, the young lady received a good education, knowing seven languages.
In addition to German and French, Isabella spoke Latin, Greek, Italian, Spanish and English.
Isabella’s hobby was graphology – determining a person’s mental characteristics based on handwriting.
In 1895, she was elected as the honorary president of the Paris Society of Graphology.
In 1900, I. von Ungern-Sternberg gave a lecture at the First International Congress of Graphology in Paris on ‘The artistic and impersonal handwritings that stand outside the true calligraphy’. The French Minister of Education acknowledged the work of I. von Ungern-Sternberg with the Order of ‘Palmes Académiques’.

In autumn 1876, young Isabella travelled from Geneva to Genoa.
On the train, she met the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.
Their all-night conversation was later called an ‘orgy of thoughts’ by Isabella, who described him as ‘a thinker who had something to give to the world and who was in a giving mood.’

They stayed at the same hotel in Genoa and spent days together in and around the city.
They later met again in Pisa.
The meeting with the great philosopher had a big impact on Isabella.
She admitted that ‘the spark that Nietzsche cast on my soul glowed on …’
Their acquaintance continued and years later Nietzsche sent his works to Isabella, one of which had a dedication ‘A book for free spirits.’

Isabella last met the philosopher in Weimar in 1900, and in 1902 she published a graphological study of the famous philosopher ‘Nietzsche im Spiegelbilde seiner Schrift’ (‘Nietzsche Mirrored by his Handwriting’).

In the summer of 1913, Tsar Nicholas II arrived in Paldiski with his family.

He and his daughters decided to visit Leetse Manor, Isabella’s residence, belonging to the Ungern-Sternbergs, 6 km from the port.
The manor learned about the arrival of the tsar through a messenger the same morning.
The people of the manor were speechless about the shocking news.

The guests were received by Isabella.
Together they walked to the beach, took photos, sat on a large beach rock, which the locals began to call the imperial stone.
The walk did not go without a hitch.
The peasants made hay close to the beach, and haystacks had already emerged.
The guests rested on the haystacks.
The locals thought the party were loitering vacationers.
An angry farmer came from a bush, who began to quarrel with the loiterers with mighty words.

When the man learned who he was dealing with, he was weakened by fear.
Nicholas II thought the incident was funny.
The owner of the hay was compensated for these so-called monetary losses.
The emperor was surprised by the beauty of Leetse beach and indicated that he would like to buy this place and build his own summer castle in the future.
The Ungern-Sternbergs agreed to sell the manor because the household did not generate much income.

World War I cancelled these plans.
The tsar was also interested in Isabella’s graphology work, of which he knew surprisingly much.
He had also heard of the baroness’s clairvoyant abilities and offered to see for himself.
Isabella said she didn’t see anything special.

Later, however, she wrote to her female friend, Nietzsche’s sister, that she had seen war, disaster and death.
Unfortunately, the prediction would quite soon be fulfilled.

As the gentlefolk talked around the coffee table, the maid examined the emperor’s white navy hat in the hall.
The brave ones tried on their hats and later boasted that they were wearing the “emperor’s hat”.
The servants marvelled that the emperor’s hat was relatively old and worn.